-40C
by bittersweetreality
Summary: Freezing cold snow and winds yet arms wrapped around her. It was a face, masked from nose down. Brows knit as blue eyes stared. An AU.
1. Wander

_Rovaniemi, Finland_

 _1830 hours_

* * *

Snow. It was everywhere.

Chilling winds blew against her. The cold was numbing while altogether physically and mentally draining. She could barely feel her nose, fingers and toes anymore.

Her three jacket layers, gloves, and two pants layers still made her feel naked.

 _Split that sandwich with Eren on the plane during noon...Landed at 5 pm Finland time..._

She checked her backpack's belongings then looked at her watch. Damn it all.

A useless hour and a half wandering around in this bracing blizzard.

Mikasa was at her limit.

Teeth chattering and a throbbing migrane, she clutched her map and sighed in frustration.

A big X mark on the map pointed to the house of Eren's and Armin's professor.

Unfortunately, there was no photo attached thus Mikasa didn't know how to find this so called "WEIRD BUT COOL" and "very brilliant" Professor Hanji, as her friends had described.

She was close enough. Mikasa knew it was the village as she started to see lights in the distance. Or maybe that was her tired eyes playing tricks on her.

 _I feel like passing out. I'm going kill those two when I find them. Unless I die first..._

She mumbled, "Telling me to meet them at this house and going off on-"

That's when Mikasa saw a blurred figure against the blizzard.

"Eren? Armin?" Mikasa shouted and faltered. Her legs burned cold as she tried to force them to run. She hadn't seen anyone else out in the cold yet.

The figure stopped and seemed to look in her direction.

Mikasa felt so heavy and tired.

The snow beat down steadily.

 _Might be a long shot but..._

"P-please!... Do you know Professor Hanji?" she said weakly.

The figure was coming closer. Mikasa wondered what he/she thought of her, the crazy freezing woman.

Mikasa was losing consciousness. She felt her legs give way and she kneeled.

 _So so cold..._

The figure was coming faster towards her.

Mikasa winced and swayed. Her bag felt like a thousand pounds. The map fell from her fingers as she felt her body freeze up totally. She was going to fall back.

Arms wrapped around her. It was a face, masked from nose down. Brows knit as blue eyes stared.

 _My favorite shade._ She noted mutely. _A great way to die._

It was the last thing she saw before she collapsed and blacked out.


	2. Found

It was the third time he swore to kill Hanji that day.

The first time was when Hanji barged into his room at 9 am. "LEVI! GET OUT LOOK! GOOD MOOORRRNING." She bugged and harped about the late sunrise.

The second time was when Hanji announced that some guests would be coming. She whined and demanded Levi to get wood outside. In. the. damn. blizzard.

He went because Hanji would never remember to do such trivial things anyway even if it meant they'd freeze to death in the house she rented. So he geared up, put on the shellaclava that masked his face and left.

Now _this_.

Levi was planning get wood then quickly head back in but some lunatic called out in the snow.

He almost didn't catch the slow moving shadow. Levi was suspicious of course and stared. It wasn't for a while until he decided to come closer and check the person out.

Levi knew too well the feeling of being cold and alone. Too well.

 _If it was someone I cared about..._

"P-please!... Do you know Professor Hanji?" a girl's voice pleaded.

Ah. The brat was probably one of Hanji's supposed visitors. What was she doing out here?

He jogged, feeling apprehension and a bit of guilt. Levi was just in time before she fell backwards and blacked out in his arms.

Eyes narrowing he stared at her face. Black hair framing her delicate features. She looked like some fallen angel whose nose is turning slightly blue at the moment.

 _Crap. I'm going to murder that four eyed freak for sure._

He scooped the girl up and balanced her weight with his right shoulder. He'd just go back to get wood later.

 _Ugh_. She was heavier than he expected albeit she was carrying a large backpack. He had to hurry or else her hypothermia could worsen.

 _Only a crazy God-knows-who would have the guts to come to here on foot through dangerous weather. Foolish idiot. Foolish, annoying and... lovely._

The thought pissed him off even more.

The blizzard was starting to lift. Levi trekked as quickly as he could through a foot thick of snow. He cursed at himself for not bringing his phone. He hoped Hanji had already come back to the house after snow trekking.

"OI HANJI! OPEN THE DOOR DAMN IT!" Levi shouted, nearing the house.

Door flying open, Hanji ran out. "Hah? Levi?" She looked at the girl with him and immediately understood. They hurried to take off her backpack, put her down in their living room couch and moved her next to the fireplace.

"How long?"

"Found her just before fainting. Must've been a few minutes since."

"Hmm pulse still present but faint."

That was all that was left of their conversation for now. Trained in first aid, Hanji worked on taking off the girl's shoes and warming her up. Levi spaced out as he stared at the unmoving figure on the couch.

* * *

 _1900 hours_

Some time passed before Hanji told him that the girl was going to be fine. Oddly, Levi felt some weight lift off his shoulders.

"Could have certainly lost a few limbs. I'll get Erwin to check on her soon. She's lucky you got to her in time."

"Said she was looking for you, Hanji."

Hanji's eyebrows rose as if to meet her hairline. "Me? Huh... Oh, she does look familiar! Although, I'm sure I've never met her before. I wonder..."

"Does she need anything else?"

Hanji's eyes twinkled. "Have you got a soft spot for her Leeeeevi?"

Levi looked to Hanji and raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have to be so defensive. You just looked so worried awhile ago." Hanji winked. "Wait here. I'll just get some hand warmers."

 _Oh Levi, you are so easy to read._

Levi's eyes twitched. "Stop jumping to conclusions." _Stupid Hanji._

* * *

 _Knock knock knock._ The unlocked door opened.

"Professor? This place is so cool! The northern lights must be aweso- Wha- Mikasa? Who are you?" Two boys appeared in the living room looking bewildered.

"Hey! What did you do to Mikasa?" The brown haired one shouted.

 _So noisy_.

"You brats know her?" Levi, glared with a death threat.

"Y-yeah. We were heading here together but we lost each other on the way." The blonde one murmured looking like a deer caught in headlights.

Hanji walked in after hearing a commotion. "Ah Armin! Eren! Unfortunately, your friend, I'm assuming, seems to have fainted from being outside too long."

"Is she going to be okay?" Armin asked.

"WHAT? MIKASA!" Eren, the idiotic-looking one, in Levi's opinion, whimpered and rushed to kneel next to Mikasa.

For some reason, that annoyed Levi so much more. "Tch. Are you kdding me? You don't leave your friends out in this weather."

"Trust me, she's going to be alright," Hanji interrupted and handed Levi some plastic packets. "Place these over her palms."

After quick introductions, she told the boys, "As for you two, we'll leave her for a while and I'll show you to your rooms for now!"

Eren and Armin followed suit but were wary of the moody man they would be leaving Mikasa with.

"I'm worried. Do you think he's crazy?" Eren whispered.

"I don't know." Armin murmured, "But Hanji seems to know him so it must be fine."

* * *

Alone, Levi stared at the stranger on the couch. She definitely looked better and less pale. He slowly approached the girl, Mikasa, and held the hand warmers up to her hands from a distance. It felt like violating some unspoken rule if he got too close.

He observed her and noted that she looked like she wasn't going to wake up anytime soon. One thought crossed his mind. _I am such a creep._

He stayed there kneeling for a while, trying to look anywhere except Mikasa, as he held packets to her hands. Right now, Levi felt something weirdly akin to warmth in him.

He swore that it was from the fireplace and certainly not from the current situation.

He looked out the half curtained window and across the dimly lit village enveloped by the skyline of stars. Daylight is fleeting in the north, he mused. He came on this trip from a yearning in him to discover and explore the world. He would never admit that to Hanji and Erwin though.

 _New beginnings huh._

He felt something stir and whipped his head to the person he was currently tending to.

 _What the-_

Mikasa woke up, eyes fluttering open. The only thing Levi saw were her dark eyes.

"Where- Who?"

 _Shit_.

Levi felt his heart stop, literally.


End file.
